Chestnut Baklava Recipe (+Giveaway)

Have you ever had trouble serving baklava? It gets sticky, messy and difficult to handle. I found a solution by using shredded phyllo dough instead of sheets of phyllo dough and baking it in individual molds. They tend to trap the syrupy goodness in their web instead of getting soaked and sticky. Since it's the holidays, I wanted to add the flavor of Christmas to the baklava, so I added chestnuts. I layered both chestnut purée and roasted chestnuts into the baklava, along with crushed pistachios for color and flavor. I also substituted date syrup for honey, which added a depth of flavor and a strong contrast of color.

If you're looking for a dessert recipe for the holidays that's easy to make but looks elegant, consider baklava. It's an easy, stress-free dessert that is sure to please everyone.

I used pure, organic date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone. If you've never tried date syrup before, you're in for a treat. You can use it in place of just about any syrup. Date syrup has a mild tanginess to it that balances the sweetness. I especially like it on waffles, pancakes and French toast. For a chance to win two jars of date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone, enter today's 25 Days of Giveaways contest. And if you're interested in making this recipe today, you can get a 20% discount from Organics Are For Everyone by using the "FATALE" promo code (good till 12/21).

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Organics Are For Everyone, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "2 jars of Organics Are For Everyone pure date syrup #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @DateSyrupRocks: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y"

Roasted Chicken with Lingonberries

The first time I tasted lingonberries was during a trip to England. As a child, I traveled a lot to Great Britain and stayed with host families so I could improve my English. There would usually be another international student staying with the host family. One time, I stayed with a Swedish girl. It's been so long I can't remember what her name was, but I do remember that she introduced me to many new flavors. Typically, the students would bring a present that represented his or her culture and country. I would usually bring either chocolates, wine or Champagne. But this Swedish girl brought lingonberry preserves that were delicious. Lingonberries are Scandinavian berries with a flavor reminiscent of cranberries but slightly less tart and sweeter. And like cranberries, I think the preserves go especially well with white meat. If you're preparing your Christmas menu, this lingonberry roasted chicken could be a festive and tasty option for your main course. I roasted a whole chicken, adding the preserves to the marinade and glazed the chicken at the end so the skin turned sweet and crispy.

There's a giant IKEA store near where we live. I sometimes wander in the food area and buy Swedish root beer, delicious sparkling pear drink, Swedish meatballs and of course lingonberry preserves. If you don’t have an IKEA nearby, you can always buy lingonberry preserves online.

Today's giveaway is the Caramelini Gift Box of salted caramels from Das Foods. The flavors are unique: Chili Pecan, Orange Honey and Ginger Pistachio (my personal favorite), just to name a few. I grew up with far more traditional fleur de sel caramels from France, so it was very nice to see such a creative take on a classic treat from my childhood. As an added bonus, the packaging is so lovely that they also make a wonderful gift. For your chance to win these caramels, just enter on the 25 Days of Giveaways page.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Das Foods, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "the Caramelini Gift Box (salted caramels) #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Karela Achar Recipe (+Giveaway)

Bitter melon (also known as bitter cucumber, bitter gourd or karela) is an acquired taste. That's a polite way of saying a lot of people dislike it. As the name implies, it is bitter, but when cooked properly, it can make a delicious dish. I learned this particular recipe from my husband Lulu's auntie. Sherin Auntie made achar using Indian bittermelons. What is achar you ask? Achar is to Indian cuisine what nuoc mam is to Vietnamese food. It's a popular, oil-packed Indian pickled condiment. We usually eat it with kichdi (Indian lentil rice) and raita (Indian yogurt condiment).

First, Sherin Auntie seeded the karela and cut them into small shreds. She decided to par-boil them so they'd be tender but this step is optional. She then fried them with Indian spices until it formed a chunky, thick paste and completed the process by sealing the mixture in a jar. The last bit of this recipe is time; you have to let the achar stand for a few days so the ingredients infuse and develop into a flavorful condiment. But I promise you it's so addictive, you'll keep asking for more rice so you can eat more achar.



Today’s giveaway is 4 bags each of Mary’s Gone Crackers 3 pretzel stick flavors.They come in Sea Salt, Chipotle Tomato and Curry. I got a chance to try the curry flavored “sticks & twigs” recently, and I can tell you they go really great with Cypress Grove Chevre. My father-in-law almost ate the entire pack along with the cheese, so I was lucky to get the few bites I did before they disappeared. The pretzels are earthy and the curry flavor really comes through. For a chance to win the pretzels, just enter today’s giveaway.

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Mary's Gone Crackers, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Mary's Gone Crackers #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @GoneCrackers: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Mache Pesto Pasta Recipe

Fresh pesto is delicious, easy, and bursting with flavor. It’s also incredibly versatile in that you can use many different types of greens to modify the flavor. Today I was so happy my experiment with turning French mâche into delicious Pesto proved to be delightful and nutritious.

To make the pesto, I paired the mâche lettuce (pronounced [mosh]) with champagne pear vinegar because both are so delicate and flavorful. I kept the dish very simple; I tossed pasta with garlic and a little cream. Once the pasta was well coated, I added the mâche pesto and finished the dish with lemon zest and colorful peppercorns.

The flavor combination was inspired by store-bought lemon pepper-flavored pappardelle pasta. I repeated the same flavors using lemons, green, pink and black peppercorns and a touch of champagne pear vinegar (doesn't that sound luxurious?) that I recently received from our friend Jacilyn from Bellindora. This company is four-generation family owned and is located in the heart of California's San Joaquin wine country. I've tried both their premium vinegars (cherry balsamic and champagne vinegar) as well as their fruity extra-virgin olive oil and they make wonderful pestos and salad dressings. If you want to win this trio of bottles, enter today's Bellindora giveaway!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page  or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "Champagne Pear & Balsamic Cherry Vinegars + EVOO #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and Bellindora: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".

Chocolate French Toast Recipe (Pain Perdu) + Giveaway

It may be a bit cliché, but I'm a chocolate addict. I’m always trying to find new ways to use chocolate. Growing up, there was Nutella on the table every day, and I thought it would be fun to come up with a decadent, chocolate-flavored breakfast treat for the holidays.

This special breakfast combines French toast, chocolate and, since it's the holidays, marshmallows. I took stale brioche, dipped it in chocolate flavored custard and seared it on the stove. The garnish is made with marshmallow fluff and a drizzle of warm Nutella. Who would say no to that?

Speaking of chocolate, our friends from Romanicos are giving away $85 worth of their delicious handmade chocolates, called the “Cube Box”. I had an opportunity to try the chocolates recently, and they are honestly some of the best I’ve had in the US. I thought I could only get chocolates of this quality in France, so I was very pleasantly surprised. My husband’s family was literally fighting over them, so I’m going to have to get more soon! If you’d like to personalize the product for the holidays, check out Romanico’s Family Holiday Gifts. You can have your holiday greeting cards printed directly on the box. And of course, don’t forget to enter today’s giveaway for your chance to win!

Make sure you're a fan of PhamFatale Facebook fan page and Romanicos Chocolate, or follow @Phamfatalecom and tweet about this giveaway. To make it easy, you can just copy and paste this tweet if you’d like: "$85 Romanicos Chocolate #Giveaway from @Phamfatalecom and @Romanicos_Choco: http://bit.ly/sp4V7y".